Inspection forms are necessary for inspectors to track and evaluate the progress of an inspection. Inspection requires measurement, comparison, examination, and testing by gathering the data.

Digitization of the inspection form with inspection management software is an important aspect in this regard. Digitized forms are smarter, more useful, and more efficient when compared to paper forms.

The job of an inspector is not an easy one - it requires a lot of work to be successful. Digital devices help with multitasking in terms of measurement, comparison, and examination.

A checklist can save a lot of your time while inspecting a particular area of the workplace. Technology has influenced the field of inspection by providing aid in terms of writing, comparing, measuring, and examining. A digital inspection form or checklist is just one such example that saves a lot of time.

Capturing the images and videos on a tablet or smartphone can also help as detailed analysis can be conducted by other specialists in real time while the inspector moves onto the next task. With the ability to share inspection results almost instantaneously, inspections are significantly improved. Now, if the inspector has missed any details, it’s possible to have the inspection reissued while he is still on site. This improves turnaround time dramatically.

Quality of Inspections Increase

Quality inspection is said to be one in which you gather the right data from the right area. A digital inspection form ensures that all of the required information is captured. By forcing certain fields to be mandatory, inspectors are unable to proceed. These fields are not just restricted to text however, as photos and notes can also be made mandatory.

Digital inspections not only improve speed but they also ensure that common transcription errors are avoided. Using tools like barcode and RFID scanners, inspectors can gather information quickly and easily. Sharing information is simple on a tablet but using technology also allows inspectors to create reports in real time. This functionality lets inspectors compare current inspections with historical ones providing a simple snapshot of issues to focus on.

The automation of the data gathering by the use of logic provides clear results. There are also fewer chances of human errors. Digital systems can be automated quite easily through the use of logical tools. The flow of the inspection also improves with the use of digital inspection forms. It also gets easier to analyze the gathered data on the base of the already set parameters.

The Next Generation of Inspectors

Inspection parameters are changing with the advancement of technology as well as the passing of the torch from the old guard to the new. Baby boomers once a driving force for growth are retiring in ever greater numbers and there is an increasing need to train and upskill a new generation of inspectors.

While this generation built many of the technologies we are familiar with, they learned to a large extent by doing. That same process will not work for the current generation. With today’s ever more connected world, interruptions in service can be devastating to businesses and economies.

However, technology can assist with this by providing tools that can assist in lowering training costs. By adding documentation, diagrams, and videos to items being inspected, it’s easier for inspectors. Using these tools enables inspectors to understand what they are looking at and how it interacts with other areas. This helps drive down training costs and training time while maintaining efficiency.

Greater Risk Management

Risk management is a key aspect of business management as every business has some associated risks. Businesses identify risk in different ways. By digitizing the inspection forms it’s possible to quickly and easily see correlations.

These could be identified based on historical records, government regulations or even engineering specifications. By focusing inspections on areas with the greatest risk to the business, companies are better able to minimize and mitigate risk.

We can rely on inspection results in terms of risk management. An automated and digital system of analysis is more accurate and efficient as compared to an analog and manual system.

Real-Time Analytics

Real-time analytics means to draw the conclusion immediately after gathering the data. In the manual inspection forms, we were lacking in terms of real-time analytics as we have to spend some time for the analysis of the gathered data in order to make a conclusion. This could take days, weeks and even months depending on the remoteness of the site.

Now, with the aid of digital inspection forms, we have the ability to have data analysis in real time. Even sites that are extremely remote can be analyzed significantly faster. We get clean, automated, and reliable results from the digital forms. Delay is a word which has been forgotten by the digital inspectors due to the use of digital technology.

Conclusion

The use of analog data entry and analysis is in the past as we have entered into a digital era of data gathering and analysis. The digitization of the inspection forms has enabled us to gather the data quickly and analyze it immediately for getting a conclusion. We are living in a digital era and digitization is the utmost need of every field. Digital inspection forms are getting smarter with the aid of technology.

Field Eagle is a digital inspection software for today’s generation. Companies that need to collect data in the field, whether for compliance audits, condition rating, inventory, inspections, health and safety or preventative maintenance can now leave their paper and pen at home. Using Field Eagle's handheld application, any Windows, iOS, or Android tablet can be a fully integrated data collection tool. Reporting time is reduced from hours to seconds with increased accuracy and detail. Field Eagle is the centralized place for all your inspection data and reports.